How Your Dentist Can Protect Smiles with Dental Sealants

Like knights wear armor to protect them from injury, your dentist places dental sealants onto your teeth to protect them from decay. A tooth sealant is actually a thin layer of plastic that is applied to the parts of your back teeth that you use for chewing. These teeth usually have many small grooves that your toothbrush can’t reach, and the plaque that accumulates on them can eventually cause cavities. Dental sealants act as protective barriers to keep food, plaque, and bacteria away from your tooth enamel. Sealants are often placed on adult molars as soon as they erupt. Your dentist may also seal teeth that appear to be forming a cavity.

How Dental Sealants Are Applied
Sealing your teeth doesn’t hurt, and it doesn’t take long to do. Here are the basic steps.

The dentist will use a tool called an explorer to look for grooves in your back teeth.

A special gel or liquid will be applied to your teeth to help make the surface rough so the sealant can bond with it.

Your teeth will be rinsed and dried.

A sealant will be applied with a brush to protect and seal teeth.

Depending on what type of sealant is used, as special light may be applied to help harden it.

What to Expect After a Tooth Sealant Treatment
As soon as your teeth are sealed, you are free to do whatever you like, including eating and drinking. You may feel like you are biting onto something at first, but this odd feeling will go away quickly. After a few days, you won’t even know the sealants are on your teeth. A tooth sealant doesn’t last forever, but it can effectively seal teeth for up to ten years. Each time you go for a dental exam, your dentist will check to see how the sealants are doing. If one is chipped or damaged, it can easily be replaced. Be sure to take care of your teeth and gums in other ways for the best oral health. Brush and floss every day, and try to eat a healthy diet.

To get the dental care you deserve from an affordable dentist in Fairfax, call Dental One Associates of Fairfax today at (703) 664-1990 or make an appointment.

Dental One Associates offers affordable family dentistry and gentle, compassionate dental care in Fairfax. With 6 affiliated practices throughout Virginia, our offices are conveniently located with extended hours to meet your needs. At Dental One Associates of Fairfax, we provide most dental services, from basic preventative care and general dentistry to specialized procedures and complete dental reconstruction. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Patient satisfaction is our top priority and we strive to provide the exceptional, affordable dental care and personal touch that lead to lasting relationships. A smiling patient is our greatest reward and we look forward to keeping those smiles healthy, beautiful, and bright. Discover an affordable dentist who truly cares at Dental One Associates of Fairfax.

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Staff was very friendly and courteous. My dentition was efficient and competent. I was very pleased with my visit.

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Friendly and professional

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We have consistently received excellent care from Dental One Associates of Fairfax. They do great work but don’t look for ways to charge us more. They are so good about getting us in for […]

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Staff is friendly. Professional cleaning done.

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I feel my Cleaning by Masoon was very good and my Dental Check-up by Dr Miller was great. Both of them treated me very nice and made me feel welcome to be there.

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Excellent and personal dental services. Top notch!!

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Billing procedure is clumsy and difficult to understand

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We have been with Dr. Miller for a long time The office visits are usually on time and efficient My visit yesterday was for a cleaning and Samantha was great,, again, quite efficient and informative .

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Dr. Miller’s talent, caring manner and expertise.

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I decided to pick this location as my primary dental office about 3 months ago. Since then I have had work done by Dr. Linn. He has been very informative, he is patient and sensitive to your needs. […]

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Got good treatment by hygienist and Dr. Lin. I think she will become my primary dentist now that Dr. Miller is practically retiring. I’m happy and comfortable with making the transition and other […]

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The office staff is friendly and efficient, the dental technicians and dentists are excellent, and the location is convenient.

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I have been a patient of Dr. Miller for many years. He is a perfectionist in his field and he always insures that a procedure is done exactly right. I know it doesn’t come any better than that!

We accept most insurance plans and will be happy to help you understand the coverage that you have. We will do our best to see that you receive your maximum insurance benefits for all covered services.

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